2025 Ineos Grenadier (Rugged SUV)

Car & Driver ^ | February 1, 2025 | Larry Printz

[ProtectOurFreedom]

The 2025 Ineos Grenadier is everything most modern SUVs are not. This is not a soft, pampering lifestyle bauble. The 2025 Ineos Grenadier is designed for the world once the sidewalk ends. It's the first vehicle from a brand-new automaker that's part of the privately held Ineos petrochemical company, an uncompromising off-roader that takes its cues from the Land Rover Defender of the 1980s. Engineered in Austria, built in France, and named after a London pub now owned by Ineos, the Grenadier is made for true off-road prowess and longevity rather than cul-de-sac affectation. Its tried-and-true old-school layout includes body-on-frame construction, recirculating ball steering, solid front and rear axles, three locking differentials, and a two-speed transfer case with manual engagement. This vehicle stands in defiance against most modern SUVs that are little more than soft-riding lifestyle cars. It's tough, simple, and made for the outdoors.

The Grenadier uses a turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six from BMW with 282 hp and 331 lb-ft of torque. Drive is to all four wheels through a standard eight-speed automatic gearbox and a two-speed mechanical transfer case which is operated by a chunky mechanical lever next to the gear selector. All versions of the Grenadier get a locking center differential as standard, which is engaged by moving the low-range selector lever sideways. The electrically locking front and rear axle differentials that come with the optional Rough Pack package are controlled by buttons on the overhead console and, in our experience, are a little tricky to engage. The Grenadier Trialmaster Edition brings more off-road equipment, including Goodrich all-terrain tires, a second battery which allows it to power 110-volt appliances drawing up to 400 watts, and is pre-wired to for off-road lighting. The Grenadier doesn’t have selectable terrain response modes or a smart traction control system.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

I was having lunch with my daughter and boyfriend in Livermore, CA yesterday. When I returned to my car, a strange and unfamiliar big SUV was parked next to me. I was absolutely stumped as to what it was, so I took a bunch of pics of the understated logos on the car. I didn't recognize a single one of these badges:

I was shocked to see a new car company on the road that I'd never seen before. So I asked Grok 3 about it...

INEOS Automotive is a British manufacturer of off-road vehicles, founded in 2017 by Sir Jim Ratcliffe, the billionaire chairman of INEOS, a global chemicals conglomerate. Based in London, the company is part of the broader INEOS Group, which spans 36 businesses and employs around 25,000 people worldwide. INEOS Automotive was born out of Ratcliffe’s frustration when Jaguar Land Rover refused to sell him the tooling for the original Land Rover Defender, discontinued in 2016 after 67 years. He decided to build his own rugged, no-nonsense 4x4, aiming to fill a gap in the market for a utilitarian vehicle that blends old-school toughness with modern reliability.

Their flagship product is the INEOS Grenadier, a boxy, Defender-inspired SUV designed for serious off-road work—think farmers, adventurers, or overlanders—not suburban posing. It’s built with a body-on-frame chassis, solid axles, a two-speed transfer case, and up to three locking differentials, powered by BMW-sourced six-cylinder engines (gas or diesel) paired with an eight-speed automatic.

Launched in 2022 after 1.1 million miles of testing, it’s assembled in Hambach, France, at a former Mercedes-Benz plant INEOS bought from Daimler in 2020—not in the UK as initially planned, despite a £600 million investment once earmarked for Bridgend, Wales. The shift to France was pragmatic: better supply chain access and a ready-made facility.

The lineup has since expanded. The Grenadier Quartermaster, a double-cab pickup version, hit the market in 2024, offering a 61.5-inch bed for customization—like a cab-chassis ute option unveiled later that year. In February 2024, they revealed the Fusilier, a smaller, electric or hybrid off-roader, though its full rollout’s been delayed due to shaky EV demand. Prices start around $76,700 for the base Grenadier in the U.S., climbing to $88,550 for tricked-out trims like the Trialmaster Edition. It’s sold in over 50 countries, with 18 U.S. dealerships announced by 2023.

Ratcliffe, a car enthusiast with a net worth pegged at $28 billion, drives the vision. A chemical engineer turned tycoon, he’s also big in sports—owning 25% of Manchester United, backing Mercedes F1, and sponsoring cycling and sailing teams. INEOS Automotive reflects his hands-on style: no-frills engineering, partnerships with heavyweights like BMW and Magna Steyr, and a focus on durability over flash. Production hit a snag in 2024 when seat supplier Recaro filed for bankruptcy, halting Grenadier assembly, but they’re sorting it out—likely a three-to-six-month delay.

It’s not a mass-market player—think niche, premium ruggedness.

Price: $76,700–$88,550. Yikes, that's way out of the early, simple Jeep and Toyota Landcruiser price ranges decades ago.

[Jane Long]

Nice!

[Sirius Lee]

Price: $76,700–$88,550. Yikes, that's way out of the early, simple Jeep and Toyota Landcruiser price ranges decades ago.

A brand new Rubicon or Land Cruiser costs as much. I like the idea of the Grenadier, but for that cha Ching, would go with the Toyota based on the latter's reliability.

[GenXPolymath]

Drool.. It’s a bespoke Defender that’s why it’s 100K if you could get one in the USA. So want. Bet the diesel dose not meet T2B5 the minimum EPA emissions as in the dirtiest it can be.

I used to love the Defenders of the 80s and they are all over Africa doing real truck stuff not truck bro bro grocery runs. You can import a 25+ year old vehicle and it doesn’t have to meet EPA emissions it’s considered a collectable. A most of states limit the yearly miles to 5000 or under which is fine for a truck only doing truck stuff on holiday or the deer camp.

[nwrep]

Looks very 1980s - rugged and masculine. Before SUVs became feminized for soccer moms.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

Yeah, I’d be real wary of buying a vehicle from a new auto company. So many have tried, failed and gone bankrupt. A college in the mid 70s bought a really cool De Tomaso Pantera. They lasted 20 years.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

Ratcliffe tried to buy the tooling for the original Land Rover Defender which was discontinued in 2016 after 67 years. But Jaguar Land Rover refused to sell it to him! I cannot imagine who made that business decision.

[nwrep]

This car company will either be forgotten, or be turned into a Harvard Business School case study in a few decades in how Land Rover refused to sell the tooling, sowing the seeds of their demise and the rise of Oneos, which replaced Land Rover.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

"Looks very 1980s - rugged and masculine. Before SUVs became feminized for soccer moms."

That's what the reviewers are all saying. I love their snark at Car & Driver: "...the Grenadier is made for true off-road prowess and longevity rather than cul-de-sac affectation."

Even Grok 3 got snarky! "...a boxy, Defender-inspired SUV designed for serious off-road work—think farmers, adventurers, or overlanders—not suburban posing."

The funny thing is, the one I spotted yesterday in Livermore, CA was PURE "suburban posing." LOL.

[old school]

“If” I wanted to go off-roading I’d buy an old Jeep Wrangler with an engine-swap and a winch!

Now, on the other hand, if I were a poseur...

[Dr. Sivana]

Yeah, I’d be real wary of buying a vehicle from a new auto company. So many have tried, failed and gone bankrupt. A college in the mid 70s bought a really cool De Tomaso Pantera. They lasted 20 years.

They have appreciated, and can now go for $75-$100k. If the car is good or interesting enough, especially in the sporty/performance class, it can be a good deal even IF the company goes under.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

A Wrangler? Nah, too new. Jeep introduced the “Wrangler” name with the launch of the Jeep Wrangler YJ model in May 1986. It was a big shift in Jeep’s lineup, replacing the CJ (Civilian Jeep) series, which had been the brand’s rugged, go-anywhere staple since 1945.

I had a 1975 CJ-7 (longer wheelbase than the CJ-5) with a cast iron inline 6. It was a great car, especially with the top down on summer days and heading to the beach with friends.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

Until that day 50 years in the future when it becomes a valuable classic, you need to worry about parts and service. Unless you park it on blocks and let it appreciate. We’ve got a neighbor with a big car collection and he does just that. He is big into early Corvettes, Ford GT40 and Ford Cobra.

[Joe 6-pack]

I’d still go with a JK Rubicon with the 6-speed manual and the Pentastar engine. Still holds the world record for highest altitude for a 4-wheel vehicle :-)

https://www.wired.com/2007/04/jeeps-reach-vol/#:~:text=A%20German%20team%20in%20two,mountain%20in%20the%20Western%20Hemisphere.

[catnipman]

probably need to buy two to be assured of spare parts ...

[Dr. Sivana]

Until that day 50 years in the future when it becomes a valuable classic, you need to worry about parts and service.

The Pantera had a 351 Ford Cleveland engine. No problem servicing that. A lot of the other parts of the car cross-match as well. The tranny was used in the Ford GT (exotic, but supported by a major manufacturer). Tires, batteries, not an issue. Body parts and trim would be the main issues.

[Track9]

Ineos has a pro cycling team.

[kaktuskid]

We have a Grenadier dealer in the Phoenix area..it is operated by the BMW dealer nearby. The vehicle has a BMW engine (supposedly too small for the size of the SUV)and other components.

[ltc8k6]

If I wanted that sort of look I’d get a G-Wagen.

[jimtorr]

.....100K if you could get one in the USA.

There is an exotic car dealer in Wilsonville, Oregon that has the Inoes vehicles. Prices are in the 70 - 80K range.